Compressed Air System Improvement Project Saves Foundry Energy and Increases Production

ABSTRACT

In the late 1990s, International Truck and Engine Corporation implemented an optimization project on the compressed air system that serves its foundry, Indianapolis Casting Corporation (ICC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Due to the projectís implementation, the systemís efficiency was greatly improved, allowing the foundry to operate with less compressor capacity and reduce its energy consumption. The projectís implementation also resulted in significant maintenance savings and more reliable production. The total cost of the projectís implementation was $800,000; the annual compressed air energy and maintenance savings were $395,000, resulting in a payback of just over two years.